Babysitting
by oddsawesome
Summary: in this flashback story, it's Cesar's job to watch 3 year old Rex while Violeta and Rafael go to the lab. rated k just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: in charge.

"Do I really have to?" César whined. "Yes you do." Said Rafael. "You're the man of the house." Cesar sighed. He knew there was no way out of this. At the age of 13, he knew he watch Rex. Suddenly, little Rex Came running down the stairs. "Mommy!" "Mommy!" he cried trailing a blanket behind. "Please don't go!" he said. He had a juice stain on the front of his shirt, and his nose needed a tissue. Violeta kneeled down before him. "We won't be too long." She said. "César will feed you your food, put on a movie, and take you outside." Rex frowned. He wanted his mother to do those things. "Keep Rex away from the blue folder on the kitchen top." Said Rafael. "And César, don't get too carried away." Said violeta. "Sure.' Said César. Then they were gone. "Toast!" Rex cried out. "What?" said César confused. "Fix me some toast!" Rex yelled again. "Don't you want to eat some burritos first?" César asked. "No!" Rex cried. "Toast!" He reached into the pantry and pulled out the loaf of bread. "I guess we can have toast with burritos." Cesar said. "No!" Rex cried. "Just toast!" Cesar sighed. Rex wasn't going to be easy. Suddenly, Rex started climbing up the cupboard to get the jelly. "Rex!" "No!" Cesar cried and lifted his little brother down. "But I want the jelly!" Rex cried. 'you could fall and hurt yourself." Said Cesar. He crossed his arms. Minutes passed. Cesar prepared the toast and watched his little brother eat it. "Good!" said Rex. "Good toast!" "Yep." Cesar said. After Rex ate, Cesar followed him outside where they ran through the trees and the semi-tall green grass. "Rex slow down!" Cesar cried. "Don't go near the river!" Cesar looked around the meadow. He knew there was a sinkhole around here somewhere. Any small step, could send a little kid tumbling down in it….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: the long afternoon.

At the laboratory, Rafael Salazar was studying the graphic design of the nanite project. They had been wondering about ideas that would change humanity for a couple of years now. They finally settled on nano robotics. Or nanites. This was now, day 127. This would be a very serious and even dangerous project. Something top secret. Which was one of the reasons why Rafael told Cesar, "don't let Rex get near the blue folder." His wife was somewhere around the base, copying papers, highlighting material and such. It was a little boring, Violeta wanted to be in the heart of science. She finished copying the 100 sheets of paper and she grabbed the thick, warm, stack from the copying machine and headed out the door, nearly bumping into Dr. Van Kleiss. "Oh!" "Hello!" he said. "Good afternoon." Said Violeta. Mr. Van Kleiss was sort of a strange man. Rafael had even told Violeta to stay away from him. But Violeta was 99.999% sure he was just overreacting. The leftover 1% she left for God to decide. Back at the house, Cesar and Rex came back inside from there long walk. They were sweaty and red from the heat. "phew!" "It's blazing outside!" Cesar cried. He opened the fridge for a cup of HI-C. He drank half and gave the rest to his little brother. "I'm bored!" Rex cried out. "Good!" said Cesar. "Maybe we can watch a movie!" "The little mermaid!" Rex cried out. "Oh no!" said Cesar. He didn't even have the faith of a mustard seed to tolerate THAT movie! "You want to watch Atlantis: the lost empire?" Cesar asked. Rex shook his head. "He reached into the shelf and pulled out THE BOURNE IDENITY. "Uh… Rex, that movie is PG-13". Said Cesar. "You can't watch it." "Rex sighed in sadness. Cesar reached in and pulled out, THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. Rex finally accepted that movie. "Popcorn!" He said excitedly. "No more snacks for you!" said Cesar. "Besides, there isn't any more popcorn." "Shoot!" said Rex. He LOVED popcorn. While the movie was playing, Rex was fidgeting and kept putting his hands on the TV screen. Finally, he said, that he wanted to watch TRANSFORMERS instead. Then he got tired of that movie! So Cesar brought out his big book on THE HUMAN BODY. But Rex had no interest in science and anatomy, and he dozed off. Cesar picked up his little brother and laid him down for a nap. Cesar quietly went downstairs to get a drawing paper from the office. But 25 minutes only passed before Rex woke up and came scrambling down stairs. "Cesar!" "Cesar!" 'When are mommy and daddy coming back?" he cried. "Probably in another hour." Cesar yawned. He was tired. Rex tugged at his sleeve. "Cesar lets go play something!" "Let's go out!" he said. "Go where?" said Cesar. "I can't drive!" " But I wanna do something!" Rex whined. "Then you'll have to wait until mom and dad come back." Said Cesar. Rex whined and stomped his feet on the ground. He dragged himself over to the kitchen table and slumped on it. Cesar lowered his head on the table. "Boy." He thought. "do mom and dad have this much trouble?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rex in trouble.

"So I told jimmy, look, it's not that serious!" "If he wants' to betray you, let him!" "It'll be his own fault when his circus tent comes crashing down!' said a co-worker at the lab. He took a sip of his black coffee and added more sugar. "Well," said Violeta. "That's interesting, but I think you should help reconsider jimmy's little friend." The co-worker sighed. "What things are becoming these days." He said. "So how are your children doing?" Violeta set down her coffee cup. "My boys are doing fine." "Cesar is doing well in school, and my baby Rex is hyperactive, but we tolerate him." The co-worker nodded his head. "That's good." He said. Suddenly, Kleiss appeared at the door. "How is everyone this fine afternoon?" he said in his strange suspicious accent. The co-worker looked down at his cup of coffee. "Just fine Dr. Kleiss." He said as he looked down at his coffee cup. He didn't trust van either. 'You look nice Mrs. Salazar." Said Van. "thanks." Said violeta, slightly smiling. "Have your eyes always been hazelnut brown?" Van asked. "I guess?..." said Violeta. Her voice trailed off. Van kleiss left. Violeta looked up at the co-worker. "He stared at her very seriously and shook his head side to side. Back at the house, Cesar was near falling asleep. Rex was bored and moping around. Then, he saw the blue folder. He flipped to the first page and stared at the strange scientific writing in front of him. "what is this?" he muttered. Suddenly, Cesar woke up! He saw Rex holding the blue folder. "Rex no!" Cesar yelled jumping up and chasing after Rex. Rex zoomed around the corner with the folder. He was almost at the stairs when, he tripped on a loose shoe string and fell on the floor. When he sat up, he gasped. Some of the papers in the folder were ripped! Cesar gasped too. Then he got angry! "Rex!" he shouted. "Give me the folder now!" he snatched it from him. "What did I tell you about messing with stuff when you don't know what it is?" he yelled. Rex shrugged and shrank back, a little afraid. "Go to your room!" "And close the door!" Cesar yelled. Rex sadly went up to his room, and the door closed. Cesar put the paper's on the counter and folded theme as neatly as he could, and slipped the papers back in the in the folder. He would have to tell mom and dad. Suddenly, the door creaked back open. "Cesar i-" "I don't want to hear another word out of you!" Cesar yelled. The door closed again. Rex was upset. He hated when he had to listen to his brother. HATED IT! After 5 minutes, he felt angry. "I don't have to stay here!' he fumed. He snuck downstairs as quietly as he could and slipped outside to the meadow. Cesar was cleaning up then, as he cooled down. "Was I too harsh?" he thought. "He is only 3 years old." But Rex was at the meadow, as happy as could be. He was glad that he had snuck out from Cesar. He jumped up in the air, and twirled around. He ran across the field, faster and faster, until he felt the earth drop under his left foot, and fell down a sink hole! Rex screamed as he slid down, dust and dirt choking his throat and his left leg was stuck behind his head. "Mommy!" he cried. "Daddy!" "Cesar!" he breathed heavily in and out as scared as he could be. Meanwhile, Cesar had gone to check on Rex. But when he opened the door, he saw that Rex was gone! "What!" he cried. He ran downstairs to search all over the house. "Rex!" he called. "Rex!" hearing no answer, and seeing no one, he ran outside, and headed straight for the meadow area. "Come out Rex!" "Where are you hiding mijo?!" he cried. He tore across the big slough and headed down the small hill where a sinkhole may lurk. "Rex!" he cried out again. Then, very faintly, he heard crying! He ran towards the crying sound. It got louder and louder until, boom! He was staring at a small round, sink hole. Cesar kneeled to the ground. "Rex!" he cried in horror. "Cesar help me!" "I want mommy and daddy!' Rex cried. Cesar couldn't believe it. Rex was stuck in a hole. "Rex!" "You stay calm!" "I'm going to call mom!" Cesar said. "Don't leave me!" Rex cried. "It'll only be a minute!" said Cesar. He ran back to the house, as fast as he could. He burst into the house, not bothering to close the screen door as he came in. he grabbed the phone and quickly dialed his mother's number. At the lab, Violeta was typing on the computer, when the phone rang. Violeta picked it up and answered it. "Hello?" she said. "Mom!" Cesar yelled. "What is it?" Violeta said. "Rex is in trouble!" "You have to come home!" said Cesar. "What happened?" said Violeta nervously. "I got mad at him for messing with the folder, I sent him to his room, but he snuck out, and went to the meadow, and he fell down a sink hole!" cesar cried out the info to his mother. Then, the phone went dead, signaling that Violeta and Rafael were frantically on there way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: the rescue

Violeta and Rafael got home with no time to spare. They ran across the field with Cesar to the hole. Violeta and Rafael dropped themselves on the ground near the hole. "Rex!" they cried. "Rex!" "Mommy!" came his reply. "Cesar!" Rafael said. "Get the phone, call 911!" sweaty, shaking, and covered in dirt from lying on the ground, Cesar grabbed the phone, and called the fire department. As the firefighters got out to the situation, word spread out that Rex Salazar was stuck in a hole. Construction workers would have to drill a hole beside Rex and inch down beside it. Then, when they were deep enough, which was about 24 feet down, they would use high pressure water cutting tools to break the rock and get Rex out. But this was a dangerous task. Any false move could send the whole thing tumbling in, and Rex would be lost. Afternoon passed, evening came. Then the sky was completely dark, the men were still digging down. There was a breathing pump for Rex, which Violeta stayed near at all times. There were big lights, lights that you would usually see on a movie set, was set up around the hole, to make things brighter. Also, the men had head lamps.

Rafael and Cesar were sitting together. "I shouldn't have yelled at him." Cesar said sadly. "I should have just reminded him about the folder." Mr. Salazar sighed. "You're all right son." He said. At 9:55 PM, the men said they were halfway there. Violeta was exhausted. But she just kept going, cranking the air pump. She was sweaty, and her lab clothes had dirt on them. Her hair was frizzy from sweat, and her glasses were hanging off her face. But she kept going. Rafael went over to her. "Honey." He said. "Why isn't he talking?" Violeta panicked. "He hasn't called my name in over an hour!" "He might be asleep." Said Rafael. "Go inside the house and get some water." Violeta slowly trudged her way across the meadow to the house. As she did, she started crying. At 10:20, the men said they were having trouble getting through the bed rock. So things would be delayed by 2 hours or so. But everybody stood by and awake. Neighbors stood by to watch and support. But as it got closer to midnight, some people started to leave to go home to bed. Violeta stayed crouched by the hole at the air pump at all times. Rafael often helped, and Cesar did too, but at, 12:04 AM, he went home too.(**which I think is probably a crazy idea.. if YOU had a little brother or sister that was trapped in a hole, what would YOU do? Would you stay by the hole talking and comforting through and through, or would you say "well, I'm tired, going to bed, wake me up when he/she is out of there."? **The next step was hard. There was a massive wall of rock and stone between the men and Rex. They had to drill really slowly, or else, the whole thing might cave in. at 1:30 AM, Violeta went to go pray. She wanted her son alive and well, and make sure nothing happened to him. After she prayed, she went back to working the air pump. Time seemed to go on forever and ever.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: race against the clock.

It was 4:35 AM when the men noticed the weakening wall. Rocks and dirt were rolling around everywhere. Suddenly, big chunks began pouring down!" "Hurry!" shouted the men. They dug as fast as they could with the high pressure tools, but at the same time, they were doing all they could to keep the wall up. At 5:15 AM, a worker shouted, "I see his foot!" And he grabbed it slowly, and eased Rex out through a narrow opening. Rex was moaning and crying. Right when the workers had him free, ka-boom! The whole wall caved in! The sound echoed throughout the meadow. And dust poured up from the hole. "Rex!" screamed Rafael. "My baby!' cried Violeta. She threw herself down near the hole. "Rex!" she cried. Suddenly, there was the sound of coughing below. The worker's head peeked out, and in his arms, was a very exhausted, sweaty, dirt covered Rex! Rex turned his face around and shouted "Mommy!" Violeta whisked Rex out of the workers arms, and hugged him tight! When the workers had cleared up and left, an ambulance brought Rex to the hospital. Where he was treated for dehydration, cuts, and scrapes, and a torn ligament in his left thigh. The brace would have to stay on for 3 weeks.

Later at home, Cesar apologized for yelling. But Rex said, "No need to apologize, having me stuck in this hole is apology enough." Cesar almost burst into tears.

13 years later… (Present day.) "So there you have it." Said the 27 year old Cesar Salazar. "Wow." Said Rex. He shook his head like he couldn't believe it. Ever since Cesar had appeared to providence in a robot suit, Rex had doubted if he could put his trust in Cesar. Van kleiss's words came back to him: "Do not put your trust in Cesar; he's not the man you'd expect him to be…." But everything appeared to be correct, including this story. And to prove it, Cesar pulled out an old newspaper he had. Rex took it and read the cover. It said:** 3 year old boy survives being stuck in hole for 16 hours!** Plus, there was a picture of baby Rex covered in dirt, in the worker's arms, peeking out from the hole. Rex chuckled. "look at me, I'm such a baby!" "yeah." Cesar said smiling."Also, said Cesar, "I still have the brace you wore too!" "Really?" said Rex. He didn't think Cesar would keep track of all those things when he was younger. Rex took the gray leather brace in his hands. It looked so small compared to the size of his legs now. "Thanks." Said Rex. "I really appreciate this, I really do." "Any time little brother." Said Cesar.


End file.
